Topic Title

Ok so now thinking I need to look into a new video card any recommendations??

The GTS 250 has been good to me.

The following two cards have been recommended to me for a new computer I'm having built to used primarily for CAD, Sketchup and Thea Render:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6814130794
http://www.amazon.com/EVGA-Dual-Link-Di ... 714&sr=1-3

NewEgg lets you search for video cards without fans - they use larger heatsinks and there is plenty of air flow inside the case with the exhaust and PSU fans on many cases.

[Mark F. Madura]

Well budget minded got me at the EVGA GTX 660ti.

Besides I can save up for hairy chest badge!!! so I can unite

Then get newer I-7 and stuff when rendering is past learning and at production????? It sounded good right????

Yep...the video card is more than you need to run DataCAD. For some, like myself, DataCAD is just one of many tools I use on a daily basis. Considering my first rig back in 1997 I purchased cost around $2200 having the best and fastest hardware I can afford is a steal these days.

Robert

My question is: The way DataCAD goes about its calculations to run its program, is it better to get a workstation type card or a gaming type card? Its my understanding that the workstation cards use algorithyms that are quicker at CAD type calculations but slower at FPS.

I currently run a Firepro V5800 but I can't say I noticed much difference between the NVIDIA it replaced (about 2 years ago). And workstation cards are more money. I do run 3 moniters but I see that many of the new gaming cards support 3 also.

So-called "workstation" video cards often only work faster with specific programs that have specific video drivers, and they won't speed up DataCAD or SketchUp. I think the days of DataCAD being limited by the video card are long gone.

The sun shader is probably the main thing that would benefit from a faster video card I would think. I'd dump my money into the fastest processor I could afford for speeding up Datacad. 3rd Gen Ivy Bridge I7 Intel processors are a great bang for your buck these days.